Spark by Hilton Kodak

We found bed bugs in our room at 2 a.m. during a late-December stay. Reception moved us and said we'd need to talk with the manager in the morning about a refund. The lobby was busy with breakfast, so my fiancé tried to speak quietly because it was a sensitive topic. The manager said he'd been "anticipating" the conversation, then dismissed the geotagged, time-stamped photos and videos on our phone as insufficient proof, saying they "could have been taken anywhere." This was the first hotel room of our trip, and we don't have a bedbug problem at home. It felt like an excuse to dodge responsibility. He said the owner would inspect the room and notify us if he found bugs, which didn't sound unbiased or fair. My fiancé repeated at a normal volume, "So what you're telling me is this place doesn't provide refunds for bedbugs." The manager yelled at him to lower his voice and accused him of yelling and being rude in "his lobby." My fiancé wasn't yelling. Once he saw the manager wouldn't help, he handed over the keys and left. Then the manager followed us into the parking lot, yelled at him, insulted his appearance, and went back inside. We were appalled by his behavior, left right away, and decided to contact Hilton instead. We still haven't heard back. A few weeks later, we learned management had emailed us saying no bed bugs were found and no refund would be issued. Big surprise. I'll be posting the photos of the bugs we found. The room was either 302 or 306, and the photos show a 2:11 a.m. timestamp in Kodak. The road noise was shockingly loud even at night, which also shows it's the same place. It's a mildly renovated Days Inn and it shows. The hotel is SO loud at night, especially facing the Parkway. Don't stay here. Bedbugs and terrible management!

We enjoyed our stay and were thrilled with the price, though Spark doesn't have that Hilton property feel. The staff were polite, there was daily maid service, and parking was plentiful. Our clean room was on the fourth floor and had a balcony overlooking Sevierville's busy, noisy SR-66. Light sleepers should bring earplugs. Spark Kodak is remodeled and reasonably priced, with exterior room doors and an outdoor elevator to the floors. Breakfast was complimentary, but the continental selection was meager. Good thing Buc-ee's is within walking distance.

The room was very clean when we arrived, with okay beds and a bathroom laid out with the sink separate from the toilet and shower. That latter area was tiny, but it had plenty of towels, soap, and toilet paper. The floor was all tile, and in January it stayed cold all night and into the next day, so I'd bring slippers or thick socks if I return. Breakfast the next morning was basic, with muffins, bagels, juice, and a few other things. We took some with us, though the juice cups were tiny, just a few sips. The front desk woman checked me out and said she couldn't print a receipt. She didn't ask about my stay, and neither of the desk staff I met seemed like they wanted to be there. The man on arrival wasn't rude, but he wasn't friendly either. He spoke so quietly I had to ask him to repeat himself several times. He gave me the rate and room assignment, then that was it. He didn't thank me or mention breakfast, and I had to ask about my Hilton Honors membership. I was too tired to notice until I went back to the car that all the room entrances were outside, which I don't prefer, but by then we'd already committed. I stopped at Spark by Hilton late at night while traveling, with about four hours left to my destination, because I was too tired to keep going. I'd checked the prices online, my family and I had stayed at lots of Hilton places, and as a Hilton Honors member I figured I'd get a good night's sleep. It's right off the interstate, handy for a short one-night stop. I'd probably stay again if I needed to, but wouldn't pick it for an area vacation.

The manager was lovely and very kind, but I won't be back. The location was great, within walking distance of Buckees and close to the Smokey mountains. The hotel itself was terrible: loud, plain, and very small, with no cups or microwave. The AC was noisy, there was no breakfast, and the coffee was lame. Shame on Hilton Honors for including this place on their list.